DX1 Review

The DX1 dreadnought acoustic blends the tonal character and volume of a solid spruce soundboard with the consistency, durability and reflectivity of a Mahogany pattern HPL back and sides with a textured finish. The result is a startlingly loud and projective sound at a softer, more comfortable price!

DX1
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on march 06, 2006 3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Price paid: $ 500

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Features: The DX1 dreadnought acoustic blends the tonal character and volume of a solid spruce soundboard with the consistency, durability and reflectivity of a Mahogany pattern HPL back and sides with a textured finish. The result is a startlingly loud and projective sound at a softer, more comfortable price! Other features include a hand-rubbed finish top, a comfortable Low Oval neck shape, and 1-11/16" nut width. // 10

Sound: Bar none, the best sounding guitar under $1000 and arguably better then many over. This baby has a full body sound on bass strings and clear yet unmetallic brightness on lower strings. You strum this guitar for the first time and it will blow your mind at the sound that comes out of this simply looking guitar. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: What can you say, its a Martin guitar. The action is easy and crisp, absolutely 0 adjustments were made to this guitar. Smooth fretboard, low and clean action very easy to play. The finish on this guitar is natural and absolutely beautiful. For acoustic players that really like to feel "acoustic," this guitar looks beautiful, sounds amazing, and even smells terrific if you keep it new and humidified. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This guitar is made to last if you take care of it right. Like any guitar, maintnance is a priority. I bought this guitar as my main performance baby, so I don't leave it laying around unlike my 99 dollar guitars. I take really good care of it so I don't know if it can take a beating. But if your guitar is taking beatings, your not taking care of it right. Be gentle. // 10

Overall Impression: I play acoustic rock/blues/and country and this guitar can do it all. Of course I don't think the the style of music you play depends much on the guitar you choose, but this guitar can do what ever your little hearts desire. I've owned Fenders, Epiphones and Ashlands and this Martin is my new best friend. This guitar is a great guitar for performance or recording. It's a precision instrument so I wouldn't recommend it for beginners who pound their guitars, it's just cruel to see a guitar like this being abused. // 10

DX1
Reviewed by:
will342, on july 10, 2007 3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Price paid: $ 474

Purchased from: MCC

Features: This is a 2007 model, made in Mexico. The DX1 is dreadnought style with 20 frets and a 25.4' scale, no cutaway so you can really only go at the first 14 frets. The bridge style is "belly style" although I'm not sure what it means, it seems like the standard acoustic deal. For the fingeboard you can have the option to have solid morado or solid east indian rosewood; mines got the morado. The top is solid spruce and the finish for this quitar is a hand rubbed, very thin transperent finish, almost as if there is no finish at all! I really like the basic, natural feel to this guitar. It's not shiny and polished but rather very "woody" feeling, kinda like playing a Vintage guitar. There is absolutly nothing fancy about it, there are fret dots at the top of the fingerboard but none inlayed into the frets, this again contributes to the simple, natural look of the guitar. Tuners are all Martin tuners, they seem to work very well and are quite responsive. As Martin was trying to produce a really high quality guitar for a relativly low price, this guitar does not come with many accessories to try and save some money. No electronics on board, no case, no humidifier just a great little manual for taking care of the guitar and an extra peg. // 8

Sound: I play all kinds of music, right from rock to indie to blues and folk. I was looking for a guitar in the $500 region that sounded great and could play all my music. When I first picked up the Martin I was simply blown away by the sound quality. The bass notes are very rich and booming, without making the tone sound muddy at all. The mids and highs are very clear and stand out with the bass perfectly; no particular note range overpowers another, but each range produces a beautiful, fresh tone. The guitar has a fairly deep body so it does not sound trebly or tinny, even at the higher frets. Nice deep mature sound but very clear and resonating with a balenced amount of brightness. Sounds awesome whatever way you play it weather it be fingerpicking or chords or both. Martin has always been all about tone, and this guitar is no exception. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: This guitar was set up perfectly when I bought it. The action is nice and low, but there is no worry of buzzing anything when strumming heavily. The strings were all wound beautifully and the bridge, fingerboard and body look flawless. Keep in mind that it is a natural finish so the imperfections in the wood grain are all visible, but in my mind that gives some charecter to the guitar. There is no evidence of any poor craftsmanship, no glue anywhere, and it's really quite difficult to see where the actual componants have been bonded; everything looks perfect. No splintering or cracks or any kind of imperfections that I could see in the internal braces aswell. The one thing; Martin did not include a strap button on the bottom of the guitar, there is simply a hole. I'm not sure if this is standard so that the customer can choose what kind of buttons are put in, but there were a couple of small wood fibers not cleaned out of the hole. No big deal, but it keeps this guitar from being perfect. // 9

Reliability & Durability: This guitar is not a tank; the solid spruce top and the light finish requires that you take care of it. The guitar comes with a great detailed manual on how to take proper care of it. I've lightly knocked the guitar a couple of times, but the finish seems like it is fairly resistant, although as you might expect the pickguard can start to scrath pretty easily. Martin guitars have really been designed to last, so if you take care of it it should kick around for decades; just be aware that all the natural wood with the light finish requires a little more care. Make sure you factor into the price a good, hard case and a humidifier when buying this guitar. // 9

Overall Impression: I've been playing guitar about two years, and I wanted a quality acoustic for any type of playing and that I could carry around with me for years to come. The DX1 was perfect for me, I compared it to several Takamine, Ibanez, and Taylor guitars in the same price range and nothing came close to the sound quality. I almost picked up an Ibanez AW40ECENT as it had a few more features like a pickup and case, but the DX1 simply had a more mature and less tinny sound to it. The DX1 is not nearly the most expensive or top-of-the-line Martin, instead the company opted to skimp out on features but to keep the beautiful tone in this insturment that it is renowed for. Really, this is what guitars should be all about: a beautifully crafted, incredible sounding guitar that is worth every cent of your money and nothing else. If someone stole it, I would probably die a little inside; but you can be sure that I would go out and get this same guitar. // 10

DX1
Reviewed by:
AAAIIIGGGHHH, on may 18, 2009 1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Price paid: £ 450

Features: My guitar was made in the good ol' USA. It has a total of 20 frets but it is not a cut away so anythin above the 14th/15th frets is not really playable for me. Without knowing the correct terms for the materials I do know that it is a solid spruce top and mahogony laminate sides and back with a rosewood fretboard. This guitar came with no case or any additional hardware. This guitar is what it is, it has no fancy inlays or paint job it just does what it's meant to do and sound fantastic. // 7

Sound: When I walked into the guitar shop I wasn't looking for a new guitar but from the first strum it blew my old guitar away. I play anything from Jack Johnson to John martyn to Oasis but mostly songs that everyone can sing along to. This guitar suit's absolutely any style that I wish to play. The bass is booming but not overpowering, the mids are clear and resonant but not to tinny or steely. it's perfect for in my opinion anything a player wants to throw at it. Fingerpicking or simple chords it handles it all with a bright full sound. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar I brought has a rosewood fretboard and the set up was impeccable however at the shop I did try another identical guitar but with a different wood fretboard and the set up on that was a little wayward. So in my opinion try a few of these guitars at the shop to see if there is one that suit's you better. The neck shape is comfy but also slim enough to allow your fingers to move fast and freely without your fretting hand to get tired to quickly. The finish of the guitar is a satin almost none existant finish which I like. The guitar feels natural and feels like it has been made expertly. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This guitar would deffinately stand gigging but mine only gets as far as my mates house when he has parties. It seems like everything on this guitar is of high quality and workmanship. I do however find that the solid top does dent extremely easily and with kids running about i find myself becoming a bit too protective over it. I am though looking forward to see what it sounds like in a few years when the woods aged a bit and the sound will only get better. // 9

Overall Impression: My overall impression is that I play mostly indie/rock and it does suit my style and sound i'm looking for. I do love this guitar and if it was stolen or misplaced then I would deffinately think about getting another one or maybe a slighly more upmarket Martin. // 10

DX1
Reviewed by:
Milehibubba, on february 01, 2011 1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Price paid: $ 400

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Features: I just purchased this Guitar ...Mine says it was made in Mexico. Solid Sitka Spruce Top, HPL mahogany sides and Back, with a Fishman Pick up and the Martin X Bracing. Body style is a typical Martin Dreadnaught with no cutaways. No case is included. But you can get a nice hardshell plushlined for under $40. // 9

Sound: The typical Martin Bright Tone very Clear and Projection is great I play Blues, Pop, Folk Rock, Acoustic Hippie, some Country usually just Acoustic tone...I mean they want morecharacters but it's just an Acoustic Guitar what else can I say? I think this Guitar will cover any Acoustical Task you throw at it and perform like a Champ. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: Factory set up was the first Guitar (out of 30 ) that I didn't have to adjust the set up from the factory. The standard Martin Xbracing gives this a nice projecting sound. I don't have any issues with it out of the Box. It's a Martin you can't get any better Quality. // 9

Reliability & Durability: The Finish is kind of Interesting it's a flat finish but I think it's typical Martin Quality...so I don't foresee any real problems with it. Frets were fine as far as the installation of them no issues with the quality. I definitely would gig with this guitar. I can foresee no problems with reliability or wear with this guitar as long as you do proper Guitar maintenance. // 9

Overall Impression: After 40 years I decided to retire my 1970 Gibson Hummingbird, (I'm keeping it) it served me well... I wanted to change it up tonewise after all these years, so I decided on a Martin but was not willing to pay the Ridiculous prices for the "Classic" Martin Models... Then I found this guitar... I think the quality, sound playability rivals that of some guitars 2 to 3 times the price... If you are a guitar snob you won't like the Laminate concept or the made in mexico concept, but after playing for 46 years I've come to the conclusion all that stuff just doesn't matter if the guitar sounds good to you, feels good is well made, that's all that matters... I fell in love with this Guitar after 5 minutes of playing it. Playability I find the action and neck radius quite comfortable for me, The body dimensions feel more comfortable to sit and play than my Hummingbird did it's not as Boxey. The Acoustic Fishman pick up system is a nice feature that I wasn't even looking for so that was a bonus... For $500 bucks you are going to be hard pressed to find something better. // 10

DX1
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on august 15, 2008 0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Price paid: $ 500

Purchased from: Guitar center

Features: Made in Nazareth, PA., like all Martins, this is their bottom of the line dreadnought. It is still, however, IMO, the best acoustic in it's price range. 20 frets, 14 clear, no cutaway, no electronics, Mahogany HPL back and sides, solid spruce top, no finish, rosewood fretboard, TUSQ synthetic nut and saddle, nothing fancy, simple, yet incredibly effective. // 6

Sound: Wonderful acoustic sound. Not the same immortal tone you would get from an expensive Martin, but close enought that most people couldn't tell the difference. Rich and crisp, with a great bass response and cutting treble, sounds like a professional's guitar when put up against other 'cheap' guitars. Good for all styles of music, when newly strung, has the same unreal 12-string like sound of high-end Martins. Will make you shun built-in preamps. Just mic the damn thing. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: Best possible action you can expect in an acoustic guitar. Incredibly comfortable to hold and play, even compared to other Martins. Simply, but masterfully constructed like all Martins. No flaws. Bottom of the line for Martin, Top of the line for any acoustic $500 and under. // 10

Reliability & Durability: Definitely a workhorse. Drop it, spill beer on it, let the kids play around with it, Pass it around the campfire, with cigarette ashes falling in the soundhole, just don't worry about it, enjoy playing it. Reliability: always there under any conditions. Durability: very durable, just don't smash or burn it. // 10

Overall Impression: While meticulously shopping around for a perfect high-end Martin acoustic, I picked this one up to hold me over, because Martin Dreadnoughts are like drugs, once you've tried one, you need your fix regularly. So if lost or stolen, I would certainly replace it. The only things I'm looking for in a higher-end model is solid rosewood back and sides, bone nut and saddle and bound ebony fretboard. My favorite thing about any Martin is that when you strum any chord, it will remind you of some random classic song because it is the exact same tone. // 8

DX1
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on november 10, 2008 0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Price paid: $ 580

Purchased from: Music collection Bangkok

Features: Mine is DX1K -Solid Sitka Spruce top, handrubbed urethane satin finished with Bracing Type A-X. High pressure laminated back&side KOA satin finished. Neck Stratabond(composite laminated wood layers) in other term not solid wood but nicely done smooth nice texture to it look good and distinct. Turtoise pick guard. Rossete colored black rings. Chrome Martin branded tuner. No other cosmetic such inlay or binding to put more cost just plain satin guitar that is nicely make to minimal but beautifully crafted. Only complain is the fingerboard edge is too square and it will be nice to have rounder edge. Frets could be a little bigger which will add more value. However nice fretting job // 9

Sound: I was choosing between this Martin and Yamaha FG750S and LL6. While both Yamaha have more of the cosmetic values and sweeter mids and high this DX1K got better base and fuller tone to strum the chord. Plain simple if you can only have 1 guitar the Martin has got Fulltone and will serve you a lot more in term of style playing. It was a close race between the three. Yamaha LL6 sounded better on the detail mid and high with good amount base and the FG750S got less base but nicely tune mids. Both Yamaha is incredible for the price/performance and worth having if you like less base then go for it. However for me I would prefer fullertone and bassy Martin for now and try to budget myself later on for the LL6. Both LL6 and DX1 sounded equally beautiful. They just have different characters and personality. I will have them both but I will settle for Martin first and Yamaha LL6 is next.
After I put on a new set of strings D'addario EXP 11-52 the sound on the bright side is clearing up better than Martin strings. so if you want it to be a little brighter and more projective it is a good choice for it and the tension is good. The other strings I would try if I can get is the new ErnieBall titanium coated. I tried DR coated for acoustic but didn't like. they are good on electric guitar though; so all my electrics got DR coated strings. If you can try different strings to tune please go ahead This Martin DX1 is reacting well to differnt kinds to your ears. pay for a good set of coated string and they will last almost a year. I will give it a 9 because mids and high could do a little better. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: Action is excellent out of the box. Finish is good even without binding, inlay, glossy finished-you won't miss any additive. Intonation- a bit hard on the tuner but hey it is acoustic and not electric so don't mind. Bracing in side has a few nick of wood grain sticking out. Although no paper label says Brand Model & Made in Mexico inside the body. The Brand Martin Model and serial were pressed and colored inside body where the neck joint is. // 9

Reliability & Durability: Everything looks strong and solid so I expect it to last a very long time. A strap button will be nice to have on the neck joint to have as an option. Satin finished is good but if you like high gloss finished you have to pay more on the DX1RGT Case is not included. A good strong soft case could be sufficient if you like a lighter one. // 10

Overall Impression: I play Folk rock jazz and blues. Chorde strum and picking little solo. playing at home for 4 years now. no gig just love The Music the song and playing while listen. Yeah if I've lost it a new one is a surething. On the specs sheet you will get more cosmetic and features on other guitars. but when it comes for sound craftemanship and quality only a few on top of the list. This is one of them. You will love it and it is good to know that minimalist can be beautiful. Yes! it is a Martin nothing can go wrong anyway. // 10

DX1
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on february 02, 2009 0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Price paid: $ 460

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Features: As the times change, the way guitars can be made also change. Some people may think this might be a bad thing, but these people obviously haven't played a Martin DX1.
Oddly enough, this is on the low-end for Martin and still retains the excellent properties of the best manufacturer in the business. A lack of inlays on the fretboard, no binding, HPL (high pressure laminate, or fancy, durable plastic coating compressed excess wood fiber from the high end Martins), and a Stratabond neck keep the cost within the affordable range, but doesn't affect the performance negatively at all. A satin finish of nitro-lacquer covers the solid sitka spruce top and rosewood fretboard, letting it age gracefully as the years go by. // 10

Sound: In the same way that Ovation guitars have a unique sound due to their composite back, the DX1 has a unique voicing that is hard to beat. The sitka spruce top creates a wide range from warm, thick lows with crisp, bell-like highs that sound wonderful for any musical style. The HPL back and sides create such unique acoustics, making every note beautiful and loud as hell, fulfilling all of my needs acoustically. I have played every musical style with this guitar, from country to rock, blues to classical, and it sounds like it is meant specifically for each style. Don't get me wrong, this is not the top of the line instrument, it will not match up to the highest end Gibbys, or higher level Martins, but sound-wise, this does a good job of kicking the shit, sound-wise, out of most guitars. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: For all I know, the techs at guitar center could have tweaked it, but I wouldn't know the difference. The action on this baby is better than many electrics surprisingly (no joke). The fretboard is smooth, fast, comfortable, and beautiful. The Stratabond neck, which is comprised of layers of compressed birch, laminated in between layers to create a strong neck that refuses to warp, even if you treat it like crap. Even though this is a new material for guitars, it should have been implemented much earlier on. The grain of the layers goes in the same direction, allowing quick hand movement without any snags or slowdown, like on a finished maple neck. Knowing that these layers make it easy to slide, it also makes it easy to grip, the layers produce miniscule ridges that keep your hand from slipping don't impede movement, but assist in gripping of irregular cords. A new material that you need to play to understand.
The finish is great, even though it was made in Mexico, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. The beautiful wood grains of the spruce are completely visible, much like the high-end models. The wood has slight bear-claw patterns, which are groups of diagonal lines resembling scratches from bears clawing trees. This gives a unique look. // 9

Reliability & Durability: The HPL and Stratabond combo create a very durable guitar. I'm kinda careless, so this is a great thing. The HPL and Stratabond are pretty much ding-proof, and probably could withstand dropping, but I wouldn't know. There is little more that you can do to produce a more solid guitar. In the realm of guitars, it's pretty much bulletproof. The Martin quality comes through in full-force in this respect. // 10

Overall Impression: Aside from a lack of cosmetics, there is nothing I can complain about. It plays great, it sounds like a champ, it's pretty damn durable, and in it's simplicity, it's beautiful. There is nothing better, and I mean nothing in the under $600 range. Hell, there aren't that many guitars that are better in higher price ranges. When I was buying it, I compared it to Fender acoustics, Ovations, Lagunas, Seagulls, and Taylors. I know I made the right choice. Play one, and you will know what I'm talking about. // 10

DX1
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on may 28, 2010 0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Price paid: $ 790

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Features: Great neck, frets took some breaking in. With lighter strings it gets great action, but loses tone. Beautiful maple solid top (butterflied, but I've seen single piece tops), and even better mahogany neck. Martin's synthetic back and sides, which sounds bad but it doesn't affect tone and keeps it from getting scratched. Electronics are fantastic, but the features that come standard are pretty weak - hard to get just right. Came with a case. // 9

Sound: Best sound comes unplugged with medium weight strings. Very mellow tone, great for rhythm strumming. Doesn't push to treble or bass - very well balanced. I use Martin Marquis phosphor bronze - it sounds broken in as soon as I put them on.
It leans toward brighter sound when plugged in, but with good levels it can sound as good plugged in as it does unplugged. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: Like I said, light strings give it GREAT action but poor tone. You lose higher fret action with medium strings but the tone gained is worth it. It had no flaws whatsoever. The hardware was good, bridge hasn't ever cut my strings, and the neck is all in line. Natural finish is beautiful but susceptible to scratches if you aren't careful. The back and sides hold up really well, and they obviously won't have flaws. // 9

Reliability & Durability: Great for live playing, but I feel like with the natural finish, people who sweat more when they play would notice quicker wear. Hardware is still good after 3 years, strap buttons are very solid but not very deep (get a good strap and you won't have problems). I've used it in gigs without a backup - strings are my ONLY worry. Electronics are trustworthy if your battery is good (I've replaced once). // 9

Overall Impression: Blues, Classical, and a little bit of everything. You can get a lot of sounds and feels out of it with different strings, so take your pick. It's really a lower end martin, which still means something. The next step up adds better electronics and better wood, but you won't find a better sound for this price. I don't love the action with medium gauge strings, but I deal with it. I love the unplugged sound and how extremely solid it feels when I play it. Some acoustics have this fragile feeling, but this one is just sturdy. I would compare the feel of playing it to that of some of the mid-range Seagulls. Solid, mellow tone with a lot of play when it comes to strings/sound. // 10

DX1
Reviewed by:
LivinJoke84, on june 03, 2011 0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Price paid: £ 600

Purchased from: Northern Accoustics

Features: Quick review for those who want the lowdown without a wall of text. Mexican made. Very basic looking but I don't mean that as a bad thing. No dot inlays which was a little confusing at first. It has them along the top though so its fine. No bullsh-t. Just a classic looking guitar. // 8

Sound: The sound on this is fantastic. Was in the guitar shop about an hour playing various different guitars. Played on C chord on this and had to have it. I've had it over a year now and the sound still suprises me every now and then. Seriously. Play this softly and it sounds awesome. Play it loud as hell and it sounds awesome. Simple. End of. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: The action is fine. I learned to play guitar on an electric so personally I would probably prefer it a little lower. Other than that, I cannot fault this. To be honest that's not even a fault on behalf of the guitar, its just a preference and its something I could have fixed should I want to anyway. // 8

Reliability & Durability: This guitar seems solidly built, I've no reason to treat it like its made out of glass. I've even dinked the back of it a few times on corners of tables etc. Not even a scratch. One other thing to note. This guitar does not go out of tune. Ever. EVER. Are you still reading this review? Just buy it. // 9

Overall Impression: Simply put, for the price this is a fantastic guitar. I challange anyone to find a guitar that sounds this good for the same price. You could probably pick it up for about 500 - 550 if you looked/bartered hard enough. There exists an electro/acoustic version of this now called the DX1AE. Given the choice I would pick that up as its the same price (the AE didn't exist when I bought this). Purests will bemoan the fact that its not made out of "proper wood", "it made in Mexico", "blah blah". The true litmus test of any guitar is the sound, and this sounds f--king fantastic. That's all you need to know. // 9

DX1
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on november 11, 2011 0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Price paid: $ 499

Purchased from: 5Th Street Mucic, NYC

Features: Normal features. It stays in tune well and the tuners are tight and have a nice ratio so tuning, spot-on, is easy. There are no electronics to report on as this is just your standard acoustic. Since I can't submit this review unless I type 25 words under each heading, I added the last sentence. // 8

Sound: The sound is amazing from this $500.00 guitar. It blows away my Taylor (costing three times what the DX-1 did). The guitar also seems to stay in tune going up and down the neck. Extremely well balanced sound, not favoring lows or highs, just a blend of pure tones that please the ear. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: This is the guitar I love and hate. The sound is amazing! It's very well balanced with bright highs and deep lows. For the price, nothing I've played touches this guitar as far as sound. The factory set-up was nothing short of terrible. The action was so high, the guitar was barely playable and fatigue set in in minutes. Even a capo wouldn't hold the strings down. After a call to Martin, they sent me a special allen wrench to adjust this guitar (Yes, there is adjustment WAY up the neck). After some fine tuning, the guitar played very well. HOWEVER this guitar is DRASTICALLY affected by even small changes in humidity. I own 5 other acoustics that don't have this issue. After setting-up the guitar in 50% relative humidity, I brought it out to play at a place where the humidity was 41%. I had all kinds of buzzes and fret noise. I've tested this many times and find that a 10% change in humidity creates a TOTALLY different instrument. I've never experienced anything like this before. If you set this guitar up in 40% relative humidity, the action becomes extremely high if the humidity is 50%. Unfortunately, I can not bring this guitar to play out, because I can't predict the humidity and hence the playability of the DX-1. // 5

Reliability & Durability: Unless you can predict the humidity level where you're going to play, this is absolutely NOT the guitar to play live. Mine is in the home studio and works well for recording in a controlled environment. Even then, small seasonal changes make significant changes in the way this guitar plays and acts. // 6

Overall Impression: Again, I love the sound, but would not buy another DX-1. I'm curious if anyone else has experienced this issue. I own 2 Fender's, another Martin, a Landola, and an Gibson that don't have this issue. I'm wondering if it's just my particular guitar or a problem with this model. As an example, I measured exactly 1/2 inch at the lower neck after setting this up at 41% relative humidity. When left in a room at 50% (only 9% more humidity) I measure just over 1 inch at the lower neck! That is drastic and unacceptable. // 6

played this at the store a couple hours ago, im pretty sure this is it. AMAZING sound, played really well for an acoustic, although not as well as another martin i tried. Oh and it was 10 times better sounding than the Gibson acoustic i tried. Literally.

these sound and play like shit compared to a real martin.
and 500 bucks for paper pressed together? eff that
and last off its definitely not the best value for the money theirs plenty of guitars that destroy it under 1000 (seagull, art & lutheire, washburn)

You just like me have the right to voice our opinion. I think you you don't know what your talking about. I think the DX1 sounds great it's dam sure a better sounding guitar than what you have now so don't be such a smart ass if you don't like it than just keep your mouth shut. I think your just a loud mouth puck anyway so go blow yourself pal.

This was my first guitar and the more I play it and hear others makes it clear this is the best guitar for under $2,000.00 on the market bar none!!
Buy two Gibsons.. one to shit in and a another to cover it up with. Then you can use the invoice showing you paid to much to wipe. Then go buy this Martin a REAL guitar....for big boys..

I was in the guitar shop for about 3 hours today and seriously tried out about 25-30 guitars...tried out anything in my price range (around $750). I played everything from fender, ibanez, epihpone, martin, seagull, takamine, taylor, blueridge, and even resonator guitars. In the end, the martin DX1 was the best guitar I tried out, bar none.
I went into the shop with the seagull s6 as the guitar I wanted to try and was looking forward to playing, but the martin was much better in my opinion. I tried really hard to like the seagull s6 more because of the amazing reviews and cheaper price, but the sound of the martin was just flat out better to my ears.
And I couldn't care less what the guitar is made out of. Everyone makes that argument when they talk about this guitar and how inferior it is to others that are similarly priced. It sounds amazing so I don't mind it not being real wood.

I did some online homework, then went to four stores and tried out some really nice guitars in this price range. But the DX1 was an immediate standout. I also really liked the Seagull S6, but the Martin had a certain richness that's especially apparent in the lower strings - less brassy than the Seagull (not that I would knock that guitar). Very nice tone for the fingerpicking I like to do. The DX1 also shares the nice wide string spacing of that other axe.
Looks-wise, this is an extreme minimalist design - but there's something appealing about the way the top smoothly blends into the sides with no trim whatsoever, and in the unfinished-looking top that lets the beauty of the spruce really come through. They might have overdone the modesty a bit when they decided not to include markers on the fretboard, but I've been doing fine just using the small dot markers in the neck.
I've heard these things are humidity-sensitive and more vulnerable to top cracks than some other accoustics, but I plan on keeping it cased with a humidifier and not loosing any sleep over it.
I picked it up at a Guitar Center in NJ on sale for $400 - which is a pretty cool price for a Martin equipped with electronics.
And as for those who have a problem with the laminate back/sides and say it's not a "real" Martin? La dee freakin' dah, that's all!

I made a few trips to Guitar Center and really couldn't a acoustic I liked enough to buy. So on my last trip I picked up my new DX1 and I could not believe my ears this guitar sounded so much better than any other acoustic sounded so I bought it and I have no complaints at all as a matter a fact I down right love it. I don't care what people say when they are talking about what it is made of. The point is it plays and sounds great and Im happy with it.

I've had mine for three years. I liked it until to front cracked. Now I have to drive 33 miles to nearest repair shop. I'll have to leave and pick it up. That 132 miles of driving. It was made in Mexico.
Ken

I bought an DX1RGT on monday and i love it. I own a washburn ea10b, a ovation celebrity CC024, a cort EVL A6 and now the martin. I paid it €250 and i'm pretty sure there is absolutely no other guitar at this price range that can produce such a rich and clear sound as this one does! absolutely love it.

I bought a DX1 5 years ago as a first guitar. I'll give you my honest review. Out of the box the action was great for me nice and low. When I finally learned to strum a clear chord the sound was amazing everything I was hoping for. As I got better and played with others I found that the DX1 really projects. Its a dreadnaught and sounds like one. As a beginner I found the neck radius too flat bar chords weren't as easy as they could be on other guitars. I think Takamine acoustic neck radius is most comfortable. The fit and finish isn't high end at all. This is what you sacrifice for the price. You get a natural unfinished spruce top and High Pressure Laminate (HPL) back and sides. There aren't any inlays on the neck or anything really fancy at all. I bought a guild gad30 acoustic electric in a beautiful tobacco sunburst. Stunning guitar but I ended up donating it because the unplugged sound just doesn't compare. If all you want is a great sounding acoustic buy this guitar. You will have to spend over $1500 to beat the sound or more.